CVE-2021-26960 in AirWave Management Platform
Summary
by MITRE • 03/06/2021
A remote unauthenticated cross-site request forgery (csrf) vulnerability was discovered in Aruba AirWave Management Platform version(s): Prior to 8.2.12.0. A vulnerability in the AirWave web-based management interface could allow an unauthenticated remote attacker to conduct a CSRF attack against a vulnerable system. A successful exploit would consist of an attacker persuading an authorized user to follow a malicious link, resulting in arbitrary actions being carried out with the privilege level of the targeted user.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/28/2021
The CVE-2021-26960 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the Aruba AirWave Management Platform, affecting versions prior to 8.2.12.0. This vulnerability resides in the web-based management interface of the platform, which serves as the primary administrative gateway for network device management and monitoring. The AirWave platform operates as a centralized management solution for Aruba wireless access points, switches, and other network infrastructure components, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to compromise enterprise network environments. The vulnerability stems from the platform's insufficient validation of cross-site requests, failing to implement proper anti-CSRF mechanisms that would normally prevent unauthorized operations from being executed on behalf of authenticated users.
The technical exploitation of this CSRF vulnerability occurs through a malicious link delivered to a targeted user who is authenticated to the AirWave management interface. When the victim clicks the crafted link, the web application processes the request without proper verification of the request origin, allowing the attacker to perform actions such as modifying network configurations, creating new user accounts, or executing administrative commands with the privileges of the logged-in user. This flaw specifically affects the web-based management interface where users authenticate using standard credentials, and the vulnerability does not require authentication from the attacker's perspective since the attack is initiated through a victim's browser session. The attack vector relies on social engineering techniques where an attacker must convince a legitimate user to click on a malicious link, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users may trust links from seemingly legitimate sources.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it can lead to complete network compromise when attackers leverage the administrative capabilities of the AirWave platform. An attacker could potentially modify wireless network configurations, disable security controls, or establish persistent access points within the network infrastructure. The vulnerability also poses significant risk to network availability, as attackers could perform actions that disrupt wireless services or create unauthorized network segments. Organizations using AirWave for critical network management functions face substantial risk of unauthorized configuration changes that could go undetected for extended periods, particularly since the platform typically operates in environments where network administrators have elevated privileges. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that AirWave systems often serve as central management points for large enterprise networks, making successful exploitation potentially catastrophic.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2021-26960 should prioritize immediate patch deployment to version 8.2.12.0 or later, which includes proper CSRF token validation mechanisms. Organizations should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of the AirWave management interface to trusted networks only, reducing the attack surface available to potential CSRF attacks. Additional protective measures include implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious cross-site request patterns, enabling multi-factor authentication for administrative access, and conducting regular security assessments of the management interface. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual administrative activities that might indicate successful CSRF exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery weaknesses in web applications, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for social engineering, highlighting the importance of both technical controls and user awareness training in mitigating such threats. Organizations should also consider implementing automated patch management processes to ensure timely deployment of security updates across all management platforms within their network infrastructure.